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There were several competing circumstances, which eventually led to my decision to change jobs. I have now been in my new home, Whitecourt, Alta. about 300 km southeast of Peace River, or 175 km northwest of Edmonton working at the Whitecourt Star, the weekly newspaper in town, for just over a month.

More to come on Whitecourt, though in another post – for now a wrap up of Peace River.

Below is the text of my final column in the Record-Gazette, it sums up my feelings on leaving the town pretty well. Below that, are a bunch of photos from the summer in Peace River, June – until my departure in early September.

The opening ceremonies of the first day of the Peace River Pow Wow hosted at the fairgrounds in Peace River Alta. on Saturday, June 14, 2014. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

From the Peace River Record-Gazette Sept. 10, 2014

Well Peace River this is it for us.

This will be my final column in the Peace River Record-Gazette and this is the final issue I will be working on.

Starting this Wednesday I will be taking up a position at the Whitecourt Star.

Peace River will forever hold a special place in my heart. Not just because this was my first full-time job in journalism but because Peace River is a truly special place.

This is a town where a trip to the grocery store can involve seeing the northern lights, deer, or a moose or two.

It’s a place of immense natural beauty coupled with great opportunity. Not every small-town is like that.

One of the indicators I noticed are the number of young professionals in town who are from town. The number of kids who move away for post-secondary then return to pursue a career here must be disproportionate, compared to other similar sized towns.

What it says, is that even after ‘getting out,’ seeing the world, and living in the city, lots of the youth still want to come back.

That really says a lot about this place.

What is stunning is the self-awareness of the people here as well. Many of the people I talk to understand not only what a gift a place like this is but also the responsibility it entails.

You see that in the community groups that spring up and the ability of the community to fundraise for certain projects.

Urban centres would pay untold amounts of money to have this kind of community spirit and Peace River has it in spades.

It’s going to take a while to digest all the things that Peace River has taught me.

However, to everyone in this community I want to say thank you, thank you for reading, thank you for caring and thank you for being you.

For all of us here at the Record-Gazette, you stay classy Peace River.

– Adam Dietrich

Mona Weaver has Botox injected during the opening of Zen Spa in Peace River Alberta, on Thursday June 5, 2014. Botox is one of the new services the spa offered. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

Neil Parman, a crane operator and inventor, races one of his inventions called a ‘head sled’ down 99 Avenue in Peace River Alberta on Thursday June 5, 2014. Parman, who is from Nanaimo British Columbia was in Peace River to help with the maintenance at the DMI pulp mill outside of town. The sled can reach speeds of over 90 km/h. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

Half marathon runners run down the dyke path at the start of the Heritage Run in Peace River Alta. on Sunday June 8, 2014. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

From left, Ali Dalman and Ming Gaunt work to prepare pizza dough in the back of Matt’s Pizza prior to opening on Saturday, June 14, 2014 in north-end Peace River, Alberta. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

Braider Cyrina Bull, a Cree dancer from Red Pheasant, Sask. braids the hair of Ojibway dancer Rolanda Wilson from Fox Lake, Alta. while Cyrina’s son, Bradson Crain watches from the trunk of the car, on the second day of a Pow Wow hosted at the fairgrounds in Peace River Alta. on Sunday, June 15, 2014. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

Elder Stan Testawich from Duncan’s First Nation is pictured at his campsite at the Peace River Pow Wow in Peace River Alta. on Sunday, June 15, 2014. The pow-wow included a gathering of elders from all over, Testawich was one of the ones who made the journey. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

Muhammad Ashiq, left, prays with fellow Muslims at the Peace River Islamic Centre in Peace River, Alta. on Friday, June 20, 2014. Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, began on June 28, 2014. During Ramadan, Muslims fast and abstain from all food and water from sunrise to sunset for 30 days. In Peace River, a small group of Muslims hold weekly prayers, alternating each week who leads the prayer. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

Luminaries, used as memorials by those who have been affected by cancer, are pictured next to the Glenmary High School track, while walkers from the Relay for Life walk it during the Relay for Life on Friday, June 20, 2014 in Peace River Alta. After taking 2013 off, the relay this year head hoped to raise $25,000 for cancer research – they succeeded by raising $36,666. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

Luminaries, used as memorials by those who have been affected by cancer and bearing personal messages, are pictured next to the Glenmary High School track, during the Relay for Life on Friday, June 20, 2014 in Peace River Alta. The relay raised over $36,000 for cancer research. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

From left, Aireen Gorman, her daughter Kimberly and her son Clarke play with bubbles during the Relay for life at the Glenmary High School track in Peace River Alta. on Friday, June 20, 2014. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

Elder Dave Matilpi performs a dance, in front of a crowd of Good Shepherd elementary school students, on the last day of the Sagitawa and DMI living tipi village at Misery Mountain ski hill in Peace River, Alta. on Thursday June 26, 2014. The event was meat to promote reading, literacy and awareness of Aboriginal history. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

From left, Tyler Adamson, Brianna Thibault and Lisa Wedderburn participate in an event called ‘Run and Scream,’ which helps build endurance on the last day of the Sagitawa and DMI living tipi village at Misery Mountain ski hill in Peace River, Alta. on Thursday June 26, 2014. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

A security guard from Patman Productions is tended to after his leg was broken while trying to remove an unruly person from the Peace Fest beer garden on Saturday, July 12, 2014 in Peace River, Alta Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

A Peace River firefighter checks out a RCAF Snowbird on display at the Peace Regional Air Show on Sunday, July 13, 201 in Peace River, Alta. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

Steven Turner, from Cochrane, Alta. tries to wrestle a steer during the second day of the North Peace Rodeo on Saturday August 2, 2014 at Lac Cardinal in Grimshaw, Alta. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

Left to right, Nicholas Lavoucan and Bryn Lizotte both 15-years-old from Peace River and Jesse Lawson, also 15, from Grimshaw, watch as Darren Kramer, from the Ottawa Senators, demonstrates a drill during a morning dry land hockey camp at Glenmary high school field in Peace River, Alta. on Monday, Aug. 4, 2014. Kramer, who is originally from Peace River, helped to coach a six-week skills camp for elite Peace Country hockey players by using some of his conditioning knowledge learned in the NHL. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

Dennis Simoneau, one of the co-owner’s of Simoneau’s Honey Buzziness in St. Isidore, Alta. checks on his bees. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

Dennis Simoneau, one of the co-owner’s of Simoneau’s Honey Buzziness in St. Isidore, Alta. drives back from his bee hives with his dog after checking on his bees. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

Parmdalip Goais runs through a field outside St. Isidore, Alta. during the Guru Nanak Shahi Langar celebration at Hilltop Auto Wreckers on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014. The event is a Sikh religious and community event where a member of the community opens a free kitchen to the community. Sikhs from Alberta and B.C. came to celebrate. Non-Sikhs from the region also came out to join in the event, which was organized by Bill Singh Dhaliwal, who owns the auto wreckers. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

People in a boat fish in the Peace River on Tuesday afternoon in Peace River on Sept. 2, 2014. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

The Northern Lights are pictured over the Peace River, near the north-end boat launch in the town of Peace River, Alta. early on Thursday morning, Aug. 28, 2014. Adam Dietrich | Record-Gazette/QMI Agency

May started off hot and dry. It was the firs month where the weather started to feel like spring, every week.

I started driving with the window down.

So one day when I spotted a huge plume of smoke coming from the other end of town I assumed a field was on fire.

As I pulled up to the scene, I realized I was right, sort of.

There was a field on fire but it was a controlled burn. The hot dry conditions had prompted local fire firefighters, with some help from Provincial wildfire fighters, to start burning large swaths of land around town.

The problem was the wild grass grows right up to a subdivision, so if a wildfire had started, it could very quickly spread to the homes and engulf them. By burning it in a controlled manner, they reduced the risk dramatically.

Justin Dobratz sprays water on a controlled hazard reduction burn in the town of Peace River, Alberta’s south-end on Thursday May 1, 2014. Firefighters from the Peace River Fire Department and Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development burnt away dead brush in a controlled manner. The brush posed a wildfire hazard to the homes nearby so it was removed. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

That same day while driving, I spotted Danny. Danny is – an interesting character. He is a philosopher of sorts, a musician, and somewhat homeless. I know he lives in a trailer on the edge of someone’s land and that he hangs out downtown collecting bottles and I see him working through my buildings trash once a week.

We’ve chatted before, on occasion he gives our staff gifts. Most recently he gave me a fuse from an electrical pole along the Alaska Highway, or so he said. He also gave our 19-year-old female receptionist a roll of saran wrap and told her it was for her to wear at Peacefest, a concert that happens here in July.

Regardless – as I drove past him on the bridge, guitar slung over his shoulder, big black duster jacket, I knew it would make a pretty sweet picture. So I pulled over, took the photo then went up and chatted with him. I realized I didn’t actually know his last name.

Danny Pilkafski carries his guitar over the Peace River bridge on thursday May 1, 2014. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

Spring obviously means football… right?

Well it does for the Grande Prairie area Pee Wee league.

I have to admit, I was REALLY excited to photograph football. I haven’t had the opportunity to do it yet and it’s one of those sports that produces really intense peak action photos. This was Pee Wee, but the kids were pretty motivated and I considered it a training and education in preparation for the fall when the Bantam and/or Midget/high school teams start.

This photo is not peak action but it is from the first game I shot.

Peace River Panthers coach Austin Farrow helps Lars Anderson after a hard tackle during their season opener in the Grande Prairie Pee Wee Football League against the Red Rams. The Panthers lost 14-0. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

May was a season of wrap-ups for winter extracurricular activities. Recitals, final performances, playoffs etc. I found it a little stressful only because EVERYONE pulls at you because it’s do or die for all the groups. I did my best to manage it and cover all the groups as they came up.

Chloe Stafford from the Wednesday Beginners class at the North Peace Gymnastics Club performs at the club’s finale ‘Everything is Awesome,’ on Sunday May 4, 2014 at the Baytex Energy Centre in Peace River Alberta. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

When I was in Grade 11 we took a field trip to Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, Ont. During that day we toured the ICU, the physical rehabilitation centre, spoke with police, paramedics and firefighters. The goal was to scare kids into not drinking and driving.

What I didn’t know was that the P.A.R.T.Y (Preventing Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth) program, had gone nation-wide.

So 10 years after taking part in the program myself, I found myself in a field in St. Isidore photographing a mock car accident.

The looks on the students faces reminded me of the looks on our faces during our trip. Some were, literally traumatized by the experience, others were sick. Myself, I remember feeling sad for days. BUT statistics show that since the program has come into practice, alcohol related deaths in youth have dropped. So what does that mean?

Is a day of coordinated and controlled trauma excusable if it helps to prevent a much worse one later?

I kinda lean towards agreeing that in the case of booze and driving, yeah, it’s not a bad idea to show kids EXACTLY what the consequences are. Better they see an upsetting play, a theatrical performance, than live it themselves later.

Layne Hankins, a junior firefighter from Nampa, plays dead while Peace River Alberta Health Services’ Paramedic Tyne Lunn covers her with a blanket during a simulation of a fatal car accident for Peace River area high school students at the the St. Isidore fire hall on Wednesday May 21, 2014 In St Isidore Alberta. The simulation was part of the Preventing Alcohol and Risk Related Trauma in Youth (PARTY) program, which is designed to curb risky behaviour in youth by exposing them to the consequences through live dramatizations and presentations from law enforcement, paramedics, firefighters as well as victims and survivors. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

And as an example of the diversity of my job, two days later I was in a church photographing the Peace River community choir’s final performance of the season.

Darrilyn Bastell sings with the Peace River Community Choir’s final performance of the year at St. James Anglican Church in Peace River Alberta on Friday May 23, 2014. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

This next photo was all kinds of fun for me.

I was sitting in my office when a call came in from ATCO Electric, the utility company up here. To be honest I thought I was about get some kind of bad news about my account or something. Turns out they had constructed an Osprey nest and they wanted me to come take a picture of it.

They had built a pole near some power lines with the idea of enticing the Osprey to build a nest there instead of on top of the power poles. Last year an Osprey had done that and it started a fire and caused a power outage in the area.

Turns out the company’s plan had worked and the Osprey had built a nest on the platform. So they invited me, and the reporter from the newspaper in Grimshaw, to come out and take pics. Best part was they put us in a bucket truck and raised it up.

Unfortunately all the activity spooked the birds and they left the nest, so it became about trying to take a picture as the bird flew past the nest.

An Osprey flies near power lines and it’s nest next to Highway Two north of Grimshaw, Alberta on Friday May 30, 2014. The nest was built on top of a platform constructed by ATCO Electric which was trying to encourage the Osprey to nest on that pole as opposed to live wires. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

And once again back to football. I was learning by now that the Pee Wees didn’t hit that hard, they’re just too young and light.

I’m not a big football fan, so this gave me a chance to learn the rules, how the game worked and frankly gain an appreciation for the sport I didn’t have before.

Peace River Panthers, Harrison Drummond, tries to push past the Sexsmith Little Rocks defence during a game on Saturday May 31, 2014 at the Peace River High school in Peace River Alberta. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

The final two pics were really fun to be a part of.

In 2013 I photographed Ottawa Fashion Week. It was fine, I’m not really into fashion. I just wanted to do it to check it off my list and I had a free pass because I was volunteering my time.

While there though there was a collection by the wife of a certain diplomat from a certain country that has a certain bloody colonial history regarding Canada’s First Nations. However, she had a whole collection that was ‘Native inspired.’

I felt sick.

I actually turned my cameras off during that show. The mutterings backstage were all the same, people seemed to think it was in poor taste but no one would say it to the designer herself.

So when the Peace River Metis and Aboriginal interagency committee put on a fashion show it was an opportunity to photograph native inspired fashion, made by First Nations and Metis designers and worn and modeled by First Nations and Metis people.

The difference between the two shows couldn’t be more blatant.

Designer Lara Flesing applies a final layer of makeup to model Valerie Ghostkeeper before the start of a fashion show held at the Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre in Peace River Alberta on Saturday May 31, 2014. The fashion show was part of a gala fundraising evening to raise money for the upcoming pow-wow. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

I will say this though – my experience at Ottawa Fashion Week taught me HOW to shoot an event like a fashion show. So I remain glad I went just over a year ago as a student.

Model Jessica Lapretre applies a final layer of makeup to her face before the start of a fashion show held at the Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre in Peace River Alberta on Saturday May 31, 2014. The fashion show was part of a gala fundraising evening to raise money for the upcoming pow-wow. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

That’ a look at May through the pages of the Record-Gazette. Below is a look at the random crap that happened through some Instagrams.

I’m not Catholic but covering the mass that preceded the graduation of the Catholic high school kids was pretty cool. I appreciated being allowed to take pics unfettered too.

There was a big conference in early May called the Peace Oil Sands conference, which was about oil. It featured a tradeshow that was mostly boring (to me as a non-oil business type) with the exception of a massive crane that was giving rides.

Naturally as a member of the press it was my responsibility to take a ride to document it for the future…

During the conference I had a chance to meet political pundit, and I guess you could technically call us co-workers, Ezra Levant. For those who don’t know Ezra he works for Sun News and hosts a TV show that has been somewhat – contentious. Regardless sitting with him and picking his brain on a variety of subjects in private was VERY interesting. This is a pic of our office’s manager talking to him in a back room of the conference centre.

He was there as the keynote speaker.

During May I had a visit from a buddy of mine. James Wood(s) and I went to Loyalist together. We were in different sections but the same year. He got a job at the Lloydminster Meridian-Booster, also owned by QMI, in Lloydminster.

He came up to Peace River and we wandered around, it was fun.

This next one was one of those rare times I thought about using an Instagram in print. It’s a photo of Peace River fire chief Lance Bushie spreading fire during the burn controlled burn.

During the fire I drove up to the 12-Foot Davis gravesite, which overlooks the town. I wanted to see what the plume of smoke looked like from a distance.

Another day same lookout this time though epic car porn photo.

This next picture was from the P.A.R.T.Y program – after the mock car crash I spotted some very able-bodied firefighters playing around with some wheelchairs. The wheelchairs were there as an obstacle course for the kids to do. The idea being – do you see how hard this is? Don’t drink, don’t drive and you won’t suffer a spinal injury in a car crash.

The kids were on lunch and the firefighters were racing the chairs… Big kids.

More car porn – out exploring some back roads.

While out exploring the roads I found this hill, popular with dirt bikers, I saw a guy sitting there, taking in the view before descending – so I snapped some pics.

Later that week we said goodbye to one of the town’s other reporters. They exist they just work at the radio station. Megan was moving onto a job as a videojournalist at City TV Edmonton. So obviously that meant a pub night to celebrate.

Midway through the mayor popped by. He was there with some councilors for wings so he came over to say bye.

As the weather got nicer and my car functioned more frequently, I started taking regular trips up to various lookouts around town. In a few cases I went there with my laptop to write stories or editing pictures.

It was a nice office view.

Here’s a better picture of the view.

As May closed, Peace River’s very short spring was over. Summer, although still three weeks away, felt like it was here.

BUT a week into the month my car was not working again, this time it was corroded brake lines and an electrical issue that kept the running lights and cabin fans on – even with them turned off, fuses pulled and the car off.

So I focused on my work – it became a mantra during some difficult times ahead. I would close my eyes and remember the reasons that I had come to Alberta in the first place.

The month kicked off with a high school aged provincial performing arts festival.

Luke Kramer performs at the North Peace Performing Arts Festival Grand Concert on Friday April 4, 2014 at the First Baptist Church in Peace River. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

Spring was now springing but that meant nothing for the midget hockey series. They were still pushing their way through their playoffs.

Peace River Royals forward Trevor Tokarz, left, and St. Albert Crusaders defence Elias Chaulk battle for the puck during game four of the Northern Alberta Midget Hockey League finals on Friday April 4, 2014 at the Baytex Energy Centre in Peace River Alberta. The Royals defeated the Crusaders six to five to force a game five the next day. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

However, the Junior B hockey team, the North Peace Navigators, had finished their season and were now touring the town with their trophy. They stopped by a gymnastics centre to donate some money and the kids got to get up close and personal with the cup and some players.

Austin Leadlay, 7, looks at his face reflected in the North West Junior Hockey League Senators Cup during a visit by three of the North Peace Navigators to the North Peace Gymnastics Club in Peace River Alberta on April 7, 2014. The Navs were at the DMI Endurance Centre to drop off a check for $7800 to pay the gymnastics club for providing security Parents of children at the gymnastics club worked as security at the Baytex Centre during Navigators home games in order to fundraise money for the gymnastics club this season. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

Then I had one of the craziest weeks thus far.

It started with a series of unexpected text messages – it became clear my girlfriend in Lloydminister was using the medium to break up with me. I felt hurt and pretty deeply disrespected over the whole situation.

But again my mantra played through my head.

I decided to focus on my work and building friendships in Peace River. That week a friend and I were driving through town on a particularly warm day to go to the movie theatre. I turned a corner and the road was blocked and flooded…

So I dropped off Tyler, went home grabbed my cameras and went to work.

Firefighters walk along the outside of a building along 98 Street in downtown Peace River, Alberta after flooding occurred in areas around 98 Street and 100 Avenue on Tuesday April 8, 2014. According to authorities at the time the flooding seemed to be coming from a section of the Pat’s Creek Culvert near that intersection. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

This was my first experience with the QMI wire. This photo of a Ford Probe was used with papers owned by Sun Media around Canada, accompanied by a brief. Parts of downtown Peace River had been put under voluntary evacuation that night – so it was news.

Water floods a segment of 98 Street in downtown Peace River, Alberta after flooding occurred in areas around 98 Street and 100 Avenue on Tuesday April 8, 2014. According to authorities at the time the flooding seemed to be coming from a section of the Pat’s Creek Culvert near that intersection. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

Interesting note about the Probe… My first car, a ’96 Mazda 626, was built on the same frame and chassis as the Probe – they were built at the same plant in Flatrock Michigan. The Probe is a two-door coupe though and I was looking to buy a Probe or an Integra in December ’13 when I started looking for a car to replace my 626. I found an Integra.

Firefighters from the Town of Peace River and the County of Northern Lights survey River Road, which had flooded, near Riverfront Park in downtown Peace River, Alberta after flooding occurred in areas around 98 Street and 100 Avenue on Tuesday April 8, 2014. According to authorities at the time the flooding seemed to be coming from a section of the Pat’s Creek Culvert near that intersection. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

The next morning was my day off but I was up for an emergency council meeting. Then I left to go and find someone who had left their home the night prior due to the floods. I found this fellow whose ground floor and basement had been demolished by the waters.

Ted Sisson, who had to leave his home after water flooded his house on Tuesday night, heads to the basement of his home which was still most flooded the next morning, in his home along 98 Street in downtown Peace River Alberta on Wednesday April 9, 2014. The night before Pat’s Creek Culvert clogged and flooded sections of downtown. Sisson’s basement and first floor were flooded, leaving mud and damage all over. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

Later that day I was driving home and as I pulled up to my street I spotted two moose grazing across the road.

I pulled over and grabbed my cameras and took some pictures.

I went home and remember thinking that despite how rough the month had started – this was a pretty beautiful place and the beauty just kind of slaps you in the face when you don’t expect it but need it the most sometimes – there were good things happening.

Two pedestrians look at a moose on 101 Street in the south end of Peace River, Alberta on Wednesday April 9, 2014. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

The photos were for me but I’m also the town reporter – so I figured I should file them. I found out later they were used by the Toronto Sun to illustrate a recap of the “10 most Canadian News Stories Ever.” That happened a few moths later but when it did I smiled.

Two moose eat from trees along 101 Street in the south end of Peace River, Alberta on Wednesday April 9, 2014. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

All in all April was actually a slow month for me, photographically. There was a lull in events and I was trying to step up my game as a writer. After March I had grown cocky and complacent – not good. Going into April I gave my head a shake and focused on writing and finding better stories, improving my photography was put on the side.

While I struggle with this decision I have thought about it like this: I actually never wanted to be a photojournalist, I wanted to be a journalist. Photography seemed like a means to an end. In the process I got wrapped up in the competition and I forgot about the journalism part, until I moved out here.

Putting the emphasis on being a journalist I know I can take good pictures. But I know those pictures will have more legs if I can write about the subject, interview sources, experts and write bout it later.

Still I couldn’t resist the opportunity for a creative portrait when I did a portrait of a denturist in town. In her office there was a dentist light used to light the inside of your mouth and I thought – perfect, I’ll use it to light her.

Denturist Rachelle Brochu is pictured holding up a sample of one of the dentures she builds in her Peace River Alberta office on Saturday April 12, 2014. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

After April I was broke trying to cover my still breaking car. Despite that, I knew I had been able to grow quite a bit as a writer, I was much more comfortable with the crappy parts of journalism too – tracking down a source, transcribing notes and endless cold call phone calls to strangers. Those are the parts NO ONE emphasizes when they start talking about how cool it would be to be a journalist.

Going into May I figured I decided I would step up my photo game again, now that I had a better handle on this writing thing. As for the car – she was slipping further away.

In the settler era, when wagon trains left the east to settle in the west, oftentimes the weeks long journey would result in deaths of settlers en route. So they had to bury them, place a cross and move on. Once these colonies were established there was a high mortality rate in the first year.

Cat and myself made it here safely, Brea, unfortunately had started to show she had not recovered from the sickness she incurred from our crash outside Winnipeg. I started to come to terms with the fact that my party may face a 33 per cent mortality rate.

Unfortunately I had no other options but to continue to use Brea the Integra for the time being.

In the Instagram world…

With Spring on the way I took this picture of Peace River as it started to melt.

Cat had started to grow used to her new home – however, even by April it was clear she hadn’t forgiven me for the trip west.

This is the Instagram photo I took of the moose crossing the street. The orange apartment building behind it is where I live, you can se my living room window from this picture.

As a reporter in town I was invited to be a guest judge at an elementary school heritage fair event. The fair is like a science fair where kids make projects about Canadian history and heritage. It was pretty cool.

This is a photo of the full moon over the town. The view is from my living room window. I wanted to go to a lookout spot outside of town but my car wasn’t working that night, so I wasn’t able to.

I have been waiting for a night like this since.

A few weeks later when my car was working, it was Easter. There was a morning church service on one of the lookouts – it was pretty cool.

That weekend some friends came over to my apartment and we baked a turkey. This a pic before it went in.

In a search for affordable and fulfilling pastimes I got a library cards and some books.

On a rainy day when my Integra was working. Car porn.

One day I left a half-eaten banana on the counter and discovered my cat likes bananas…

At one point work took me to the nearby town of Grimshaw so I snapped some pics.

In Grimshaw the Mackenzie Highway starts. The highway goes to Yellowknife, one day I’d like to drive it.

It’s been four months since I updated this blog – I think that is some record.

This will be the first part in a four part series catching my blog up to the point where I’m at.

My previous post, just Instagrams and my own personal story left off with my arrival in Peace River, Alberta. Where I started work as THE reporter – photographer at the Record-Gazette newspaper.

The Record-Gazette serves the town of Peace River and its surrounding communities.

It’s a beautiful town – in the middle of nowhere – a small bastion of progressive principles in northern Alberta. Which is odd because we’re in the heart of Conservative oil country.

There is an incredibly strong sense of community here. People work long hours, then volunteer to coach soccer, ref hockey, fundraise, or run some sort of non-profit. Despite the fact that the town is near the heart of a swirling oil and gas controversy, and has experienced some abhorrent environmental and social behaviour from that industry in the region decades ago, the people who live here – in Peace River – see themselves as guardians of a valuable commodity and a pristine wilderness setting.

That dichotomy – and the conflict that comes with it – has made Peace River into a very interesting place to live.

There is an enviro-friendly café that serves great coffee down the road from a major oil company’s office. There is a Yoga studio and wellness store across the road from a western menswear store (with a huge selection of cowboy boots).

This first photo came from my first week on the job solo, in late February. We have a weekly feature called ‘Seniors of the Peace.’ Essentially I sit down with a senior, any senior who wants to tell me a story about their life, and I do my best to tell it.

I liked the idea – though at first it intimidated me a lot – Betty-Lou was the first one I interviewed, her story is here.

Betty-Lou Munro, 77, is pictured in the living room of her Peace River home on Friday February 28, 2014. Munro has lived in the same home since moving to Peace River in 1979. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

My first couple of assignments were school-related events. This one was from a diversity day event at Good Shepherd, the local Catholic elementary school.

Sheaya Himer, grade one, dances during Good Shepard School’s Pink Day Assembly on February 26, 2014 at Good Shepard School in Peace River, Alberta. Students celebrated anti-discrimination and anti-bullying by wearing pink. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

Crossing into March I was still VERY green. One of the ironies early on was, while I had strong sports photography skills, I had terrible sports writing skills, more of that in part three though.

Deanne Nichol from Peace River throws a rock down the ice during the final game of the Peace River Ladies Bonspiel on March 2, 2014. Grand Prairie’s Team Sharon Chrenek team defeated Peace River’s Team Deanne Nichol team in the final game 9-7 in seven ends. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

This photo required me to get up early, truck out in cold weather and was never published – it’s not even a great pic. But it was a sentimental one to take for me. The war in Afghanistan began when I was in Grade 7. I remember growing up with the conflict on the constant periphery of Canadian society, culture and politics. Regardless of your views on the war it’s shaped Canada dramatically. Peace River High School was going to lower their flag to half-mast at sunrise on the day of Canada’s withdrawal. Unfortunately we’re in a valley and at sunrise the sun hadn’t come over the hills so we were in one big shadow. I remember thinking about where I was when airplanes of soldiers landed over seas – there is so much that has changed, everywhere since then.

Mark Owens, Principal of Peace River High School lowers the Canadian flag in front of the school to half mast, in Peace River Alberta on Wednesday March 12, 2014. Flags across several provinces were lowered at sunrise, to be raised at noon at government buildings and offices in honour of the end of Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan. March 12 marks the official withdrawal date for Canadian soldiers after more than 12 years of the Afghan mission. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

I shot a lot of hockey this winter. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, I am in northern Alberta after all. My ONLY issue is, the lighting at the local arena sucks… the bulbs are all on different colour balance settings, so it is actually IMPOSSIBLE to get a clean looking white balance. Also there aren’t any port holes in the glass for cameras and it looks like they’ve never washed the puck marks off the glass.

THAT BEING SAID – the North Peace Navigators is another sign of Peace River’s uniqueness – the ‘Navs’ took the cup this year, first time in six years in the Northwest Junior Hockey League (NWJHL). I arrived just in time for the start of playoffs and despite the lighting/glass issues I got some fun photos.

County of Grande Prairie JDA Kings defence Colton Sandboe, goes to the ice after colliding with North Peace Navigators forward Dustin Gach and JDA Kings goalie Tallon Kramer during the opening game of the NWJHL playoff finals at Baytex Energy Centre in Peace River Alberta on Thursday March 13, 2014. The Navigators defeated the JDA Kings 4-2. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

This goal was disallowed. Lol.

North Peace Navigators forward Samuel Lauzon ends up in the County of Grande Prairie JDA Kings net instead of the puck following a break away during the opening game of the NWJHL playoff finals at Baytex Energy Centre in Peace River Alberta on Thursday March 13, 2014. The Navigators defeated the JDA Kings 4-2. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

In neighbouring Grimshaw they have a newer arena with consistent white balances, I photographed a minor hockey game there.

Wainwright Polar Kings goalie Paul Laferriere watches the puck bounce back out of the net after a Peace River Royals goal was scored during the second game of the NAMHL semi-finals at the Mile Zero Regional Multiplex in Grimshaw Alberta on Saturday March 15. The Royals lost to the Kings in overtime 4-3 but won the next night to win the series 2-1. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

But then that minor hockey series returned to Peace River.

Peace River Royals forward Dolan Bjornson, puts the puck in the net during the final game of the NAMHL semi-finals against the Wainwright Polar Kings on Sunday March 16, 2014. The Royals defeated the Kings 5-1 and won the series 2-1. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

The senior feature has given me a chance to learn about Peace River and the area from people who have lived here for decades, their stories range from happy, sad, heartwarming, full of lessons and everything in between. It’s also a chance to do a quick on the spot environmental portrait once a week.

Arlene Staicesku is pictured in her Peace River home on Sunday MArch 16, 2014. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

When I spoke about Peace River’s dichotomy earlier – the Alberta Union of Public Employees (AUPE) office is two stories up and directly across the road from the local Progressive Conservative MLA’s constituency office. Which mean AUPE’s office is LITERALLY looking down on the MLA.

In March, in minus 18 weather, AUPE and other supporting unions came out to picket new changes to public service pensions and labour negotiating rights.

Members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), United Nurses of Alberta (UNA), Health Services and other supportive unions march in front of the constituency office of MLA Frank Oberle in Peace River Alberta on March 20, 2014. The picket was part of a province-wide day of action held by several unions to protest proposed cuts to the pension plan for provincial employees and public sector workers. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

And then more hockey, this time it was the Navs final game of the playoffs, the Record-Gazette published a photo gallery here.

North Peace Navigators defence Maxime Richard, right, celebrates after the Navigators scored their first goal in the second period of the NWJHL championship game at Baytex Energy Centre in Peace River Alberta on Saturday March 22, 2014. he Navigators defeated the Grande Prairie JDA Kings 3-2 in overtime. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

Went looking for some creative crowd shots between periods.

North Peace Navigators goalie Talon Walton stretches outside the Navigators change room while Faron Knott, right, laughs with friends before the start of the third period of the NWJHL championship game at Baytex Energy Centre in Peace River Alberta on Saturday March 22, 2014. The Navigators defeated the Grande Prairie JDA Kings 3-2 in overtime. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

This puck got caught in the netting, with a boost this little girl went home with a game puck.

Taya Johnston, 7, with some help, pulls a game puck that was stuck in a netting after a high shot during the NWJHL championship game between the North Peace Navigators and the Grande Prairie JDA Kings at Baytex Energy Centre in Peace River Alberta on Saturday March 22, 2014. The Navigators defeated the JDA Kings 3-2 in overtime. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

And finally the ‘jubo shot,’ photojournalism slang for ‘jubilation shot,’ basically a photo of the celebration. My FAVOURITE part of shooting sports tournements is when the team wins and media/league people come on the game/ice surface, it’s the only time it’s allowed and it makes me feel bad ass. BUT you’re there to work, so I took a bunch of pics.

North Peace Navigators defence Joseph Doerksen celebrates with team mates after they defeated the Grande Prairie JDA Kings 3-2 in overtime in the NWJHL championship game at Baytex Energy Centre in Peace River Alberta on Saturday March 22, 2014. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

Finally March was capped off with a trip to the Underground Music society’s monthly show. It’s musical proof of that dichotomy I mentioned earlier. This is a country and western/classic rock town. But the Underground brings in bluesy, jazz, new rock stuff – it’s Peace River’s official underground music scene.

Ben Sures a singer from Edmonton, performs at the Peace River Seniors Centre in Peace River Alberta on Saturday March 29, 2014. Sures was in Peace River with his band the Son of Trouble Orchestra performing at the Underground Music Society. ADAM DIETRICH/RECORD-GAZETTE/QMI AGENCY

Coming into March I truly felt out of depth and green. By the end of it I finally felt like I wrestled the workload down and had gotten on top of it. That feeling definitely carried into April.

On the more personal side.

One of my first days here, while walking to my car, a heard of deer came rushing by. Later in the spring I found them grazing on the lawn outside my building.

This is the view from highway 2 heading into town, basically what it looked like when I drove in.

This is the mouth of the Heart river near my place. These are deer tracks over the ice in the winter.

When I first moved out here I was dating a girl who lived in Macklin, Sask. at the time. During one of my trips there we ended up in Denzil, Sask. which just felt like Corner Gas.

Right here, these are the essentials of my job, technology-wise.

Once again car problems, this time it was a frozen battery, but it was the start of a cascade of problems…

Peace River was beautiful in the winter, I thought. Locals kept saying, “wait until it gets green.” That was a fair statement, but still, it was nice here in the winter.

An early morning coming into the valley towards the bridge that crosses the Peace River.

A little over a week after I started at work I was in a local gas station paying for gas. The guy in front of me was buying the Edmonton Sun and the Record-Gazette, which had my first cover on it. I felt pretty awesome standing in line behind him.

Finally my companion, Cat. She’s adjusted to life out here by peeing on everything, we’re working on that. But I know she has an affinity for high places so I found a way to put her bed on a perch. She likes being able to look down on me.

Sunset over Lake Superior during my drive from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario to Thunder Bay, Ontario. It was the first day I saw the lake, Superior was the only great lake I had never seen before.

This blog post will deviate in several ways from my typical ones, it will be a bit more personal and candid than I typically am. That being said, everything about me, and my online presence including this blog, which I have maintained in some capacity since 2009, may also change dramatically at some point in the near future.

If you are only here to look at picture of my road trip, by all means please scroll down, there will be info in the captions, which should provide context.

Part One: From lost 18-year old to staff reporter

In reality this story began on the edge Lake Osoyoos in the southern Okanagan Valley in British Colombia in late June 2007. I was 18, less than three weeks out of high school and four provinces from home.

As a diversion from more school I had applied for the Canada World Youth exchange program, a six month international youth community service exchange. We were in Osoyoos, ten random Canadians from across the country, each matched with a counterpart from Uruguay. We lived with host families and worked as volunteers in the community during the days. We came from all walks of life.

A week and a half into the program, I was walking down towards the lake on a very warm, dry evening getting to know a guy named Dave Stacey, he was from Stephenville Newfoundland and a student at Memorial. He was taking a break to do this exchange.

We smoked cigarettes and talked about the different types of winter Ontario got versus Newfoundland, then he asked me what I wanted to do.

The question stunned me, I was on this exchange to escape that. So I told him that, he looked at my camera hanging on my shoulder. A Canon 10D with a 35-85mm f/4-5.6. It was a piece of crap in current terms, but in that time and place it was a show piece.

“What about photography?” He asked.

“Oh,” I said, “No I’m not interested in that, I just wanted to have a decent camera for this and my dad was switching formats so he sold it to me cheap.” I said.

He paused for a moment then spoke.

“There’s more to photography than photography, you ever thought about photojournalism?”

“No,” I said, truthfully I didn’t know what that was.

“Oh man,” he said, “It’s photography for newspapers, magazines, documentary, like National Geographic.”

My ears perked at this. As the program wore on there were a lot of things that happened but I will come back to that later.

I knew nothing about photography, but I had a camera. And so for the rest of the program I started fiddling with the settings figuring out what the shutter did, the aperture did etc. I didn’t have ready access to photography teachers or the internet at the time.

When I came home in December of 2007 I was 19, I thought I knew everything and my focus centered on escaping again. I started working as a temporary laborer in Guelph while living at my parents to save money. When I had the funds I left for Southeast Asia.

Again, the details of these three months could fill pages. But I realized something, I thrived on the sense of adventure, I could socialize well, and I was smart.

In September 2008 I arrived in Ottawa to begin my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. I had really grand intentions, however, I quickly filled my plate with school, work and the Charlatan.

The Charlatan, the school newspaper became my second home. I sat on the couch and absorbed the conversations of the editors and the writers. Many of whom are successful journalists today. I felt so fortunate to be surrounded by such talent.

However, I was motivated by visuals I never really considered writing.

It was also during this time that I started this blog.

When I left Carleton it was with the worst of mixed emotions I had achieved a lot. I had been published nationally multiple times, I had out-filed the wires on a few big assignments, I had a front page of a national newspaper, and more covers of the Charlatan than I could count. I had a partner, someone I loved deeply, and I had friends, really I had a family of people.

I look back on the years 2009-2011 with the uttermost fondness and joy, I can’t begin to describe it. Simply put I thought I would never leave Ottawa completely.

Then one drunken night in 2011 happened, it was May, the playoffs were on and I was at the Georgetown pub with some friends watching and drinking. Suddenly my friend Joel Eastwood, who had been like a brother and a somewhat kindred spirit throughout Carleton, turned to me and passed me his phone.

On it was an email from the Carleton school of journalism apprenticeships advisor passing along an email. The email was looking for a photojournalism student who spoke both English and Spanish to participate in an expenses covered six-month exchange.

I told him so send it to me so I could look it over the next morning, sober.

I never thought I would get it, I applied on a whim. Yet there I was standing in a bus shelter at 5am in January, sick, sleepless, wearing everything warm I had to bring to Costa Rica.

It was one of those biting Ottawa winter nights in Early January, -35 plus wind-chill. I had spent the night refusing to sleep because it was my last night in the apartment I had shared with my girlfriend Yamina, an there was a big part of me that regretted leaving.

When the time came to leave, walking out the door and down the road to the bus stop was indescribably hard. That whole 48 hour period and trip to Costa Rica was a blur of sad and tragic feelings mixed with the greatest joy and excitement.

I was moving to Costa Rica for six-months to be a reporter-photographer at a local newspaper there.

After I arrived I felt like I was immediately over my head. I hadn’t written much before, I knew only the basics of actual written reporting and my Spanish was not good enough to keep up.

Somehow I made it, and I learned a lot along the way and produced some good work.

When I returned to Canada I was now on a mission.

I started attending Loyalist College in January of 2013 as a fast-track student, meaning I could skip the first semester. My first priority was to find a summer job.

In the end it came down to one job left at Toronto Community News. A collection of nine newspapers owned by Metroland Media, which operated out of the same newsroom. The final candidates were myself and one of my best friends a guy named Chris King. In the end I got the job.

As I settled in, I had a mix of feelings. I’d never done anything this cool, yet my success felt tempered because I knew Chris was still looking for work.

He found summer work as a reporter at a local newspaper in Whitecourt, northern Alberta. When we moved in together for our second year of Loyalist and started talking about our summers, I had to confess, I was a little jealous of his experience.

I wanted to work in Alberta, drive across Canada and be a local reporter suddenly.

Then it happened, in early December I had the week of all weeks. My car broke and had to be scrapped, my girlfriend of three years broke up with me two days after planning a surprise birthday party, I found out I had failed to get an interview for the Globe and Mail summer job and I failed one of my classes.

I felt like I’d gone from being on top of the world in August, to considering giving up in December.

Then January happened.

Over December I had made peace with my lost interview opportunity, spoken with a prof and done some extra credit work to pass. I had replaced my crappy old Mazda 626 with a modded out Acura Integra with a stick shift, and I was starting my final semester.

I couldn’t help but feel depressed though. So as an exercise I started applying for jobs on Jeff Gaulin’s journalism job site. I genuinely expected nothing to happen.

I continued to live my life, I fell in love again with a girl who I had just met. She pretty much literally fell out of the sky. As we got to know one another it turned out we were in very similar places in life, love, ambition, career and goals. She’d been in Alberta for the previous few years, and had returned east after the rug was pulled out from under her to regroup around friends and family.

Just as life in Belleville was starting to improve though I got an email.

It was from the editor of the Peace River Record-Gazette, in Peace River Alberta asking if I was free for an interview.

It’s hard to describe how I felt, this was a version of a dream come true. The job included a lot of writing and I had my doubts. However, I agreed to the interview.

Two days later I found out I had the job. It had taken seven years, almost, from the time I decided being a photojournalist would be an interesting career to the point where I was accepting a full-time staff job as a Multimedia journalist.

Part Two: From Belleville, Ontario to Peace River, Alberta

I gave myself a week to pack up in Belleville, then a few days in Guelph to see my family and finish preparations. At the last minute I decided to take the family cat Coco.

In December when I was thinking of buying something cooler than a 626 I thought an INtegra would be great because it’s a hatch-back and has a lot of storage space. Seriously, the little Acura can haul a lot.

Coco the cat. She spent most of the eight day trip yelling at me.

My final week in Belleville was intense. I suddenly became aware that the friendships I had formed weren’t just out of convenience, I was actually going to miss these people. Then there was Cynthia, she basically spent the week at my apartment, we weren’t anything official yet, but it was still painful to leave everyobe on some level.

Then I got sick from exhaustion. I waited an extra day before leaving, on Saturday February 8th I hit the road.

My first stop was Sudbury, I have family there but didn’t have time to pay them a visit, thankfully I saw them all recently at Christmas. I stopped by Big Nickel Mine for a photo, because it is such a huge attraction, then continued on. That night I pulled into Sault Ste. Marie Ontario around 9pm and crashed for the night at a Super 8 Motel.

A selfie I took at Big Nickel. I remember this being a landmark en route to Elliot Lake when I was a kid to visit my grandparents. I remember visiting the mine as a kid. I remember when highway 69 was two lanes from just south of Parry Sound north…

The next day I hit the road early hoping to make it to Thunder Bay. I was now in a part of the province I’d never really seen before. I remember loving that day of driving so much, the roads were clear and dry the scenery was beautiful and it was the first time I saw Lake Superior.

I saw the signs, and the BAM there was the one lake I had never been in, fished in, swam in, sailed in or even actually seen. Fortunately at the top of the hill there was a snowplow turnout so I parked my car, taped my phone to a monopod and jammed it in the snow.

I had heard about the giant goose in Wawa, Ontario. I had never actually seen it before though.

This was in Marathon, Ontario. It was the first time I touched the lake. I’m a tactile person, I need to see and touch things to really appreciate them. This was a huge highlight for me.

This is a photo of my car in the parking lot where I stopped for the previous photo. Over the next bit the number of photos of my car, and my gushing about her may seem excessive. But literally I put my life and my cat’s life in her hands, then put her through 4000km of driving in the middle of a Canadian winter. She’s a 20 year old Honda and she kicked ass, I literally owe my life to this car at this point. So if it seems like I love her that’s why.

Finally as I neared Thunder Bay, Ontario I saw the sun about to make it’s final dip below the lake. I had literally watched the light on the lake all day, from early morning and now sunset. I pulled over and used both my digital camera and my phone to take a pic. The picture at the top of this post was taken on my digital camera moments before this Instagram photo was taken.

I rolled into Thunder Bay around 9pm, this time I was staying with friends of a former co-worker. Natalie and I had worked together at a café in Guelph called With the Grain the year before. Now a student at Lakehead University, she had friends who had a couch I could sleep on. That was amazing.

I got into Thunder Bay after dark. It was cold, colder than I had ever felt. But I had to kill sometime before meeting Natalie. So I went to the Terry Fox memorial, it was Thunder Bay where Terry’s cancer returned during the Marathon of Hope. Growing up I’d always thought Terry Fox was a really inspiring person, and being in Thunder Bay for the first time, alone at his memorial felt overpowering.

As I mentioned I love my Honda Integra. This was at a rest stop where I took a selfie of myself and threw some trash in the garbage. Then the light hit my car just right in the frigid morning. We were about to enter Manitoba neither she nor I knew it yet but disaster lay ahead for BREA the Integra.

OK so technically I lied in the caption I posted on Instagram. This was NOT my first time in CST, two years earlier when I lived in Costa Rica had been my first time in CST. But it was my first time in CST in Canada, which was a lot colder than it was in Costa Rica…

I love coffee. I worked my way through Carleton University at a student-run coffee shop called Roosters. Finding this place outside of Vermillion Bay just past Dryden, Ontario was a genuine joy. The coffee came in a to-go French-press cup and was an incredible break from the hot, black, piss that Tim Horton’s sells.

Kenora, Ontario was always one of those places in Ontario’s northwest I had heard about. It was synonymous with “way the hell up there and very far from Toronto.” It was a great town, I had lunch, bought some beer (there’s a famous micro-brewery, Lake of the Woods, I’d had their beer before and liked) then I continued on.

Chip stand. in the middle of winter. I’ve always associated chip trucks with northern Ontario, mostly because of memories I have from my Grandparents’ cottage on Manitoulin Island. I loved that he was open in the dead of winter.

Lake of the Woods. Another one of the many places I saw in Ontario that I had grown up hearing about, but never actually been to. I’d love to find a reason to do this trip in reverse in a different season and see these spots again.

Manitoba. A province with a lot of significance to me that I had never visited. Finally after two and half days of straight driving, and I started in the centre of the province, I was out of Ontario. I really feel like in the last few years I discovered it.

The day was going just fine until I got to Ste. Anne about 45 minutes east of Winnipeg. I decided to take a picture of the sunset over the prairies, it was my first time seeing it, and I misjudged the shoulder and found myself in a ditch.

My first time watching the sunset over the prairies. Also this photo ended up costing me $1050, seriously though, I will never forget my first night in Manitoba.

Some ‘friendly Manitobans’ came by with a truck and a chain and pulled me out, we said our goodbyes and I was on my way.

Then it happened again.

I figured I would get a second picture, because now the sun was touching the horizon. So I pulled over preparing to do a three-point turn. And once again found myself in the ditch. I was livid, mostly with myself. I screamed at the prairies, then tried to jack my car up to put it on my floor mats to get out.

It didn’t work, I tried shifting the weight in the car, using kitty litter everything and in the process I burnt out my radiator and overheated the engine. Now it was minus 45 Celsius, my heater was broken the winds were picking up and it was dark.

I never took the second picture.

I called CAA, it was almost two hours before I saw a truck.

When CAA came they helped me out, then I drove to Winnipeg. The whole way there my windows kept fogging up, the defrosters weren’t working, the engine sounded off. I was so worried, stressed and I could no longer feel my toes but I was 100% focused on getting to my friend’s house safely.

As I pulled onto their street my engine light, maintenance light and oil light all came on and my car started stalling while I was shifting, normally my engine would stall at under 400 rpm now it was stalling at anywhere between 400-1500 I had no idea what was wrong. I decided I would deal with it the next day.

Taking her to Southglen honestly felt like leaving a loved one at the hospital. I swear I wasn’t able to sleep or do anything that night. I went back to my friend’s house and puttered around, playing with his son, his dogs, my cat otherwise killing time. I hadn’t really processed where I was yet, I was convinced that halfway across Canada Brea was dying, and I was stranded.

The next morning it wouldn’t start. The battery was frozen, I called CAA again and there was a tense moment where I was worried the engine wouldn’t turn over because the car was now literally out of oil. With the fried radiator the engine had been overheating while I drove 75km to Winnipeg, it had burned off all the oil.

We poured some in, the tow-truck driver connected my battery to his charger and I got in my car. I said a small prayer (something I NEVER do) then turned the key. The engine sprang to life and at that moment I could have almost cried I was so happy.

I followed the CAA guy to a local shop and dropped my car off. It took them just over a day, but they replaced that radiator, put in more coolant, and checked the car over. There was one little issue: the running lights and blowers weren’t turning off, even with them turned off the key out and the fuse pulled.

It suddenly became clear the previous owner has rewired the entire car. It took the mechanics 4.5 hours to fix it. I walked away with a functioning car and $1050 poorer.

Before I left I arrogantly posted a Facebook status that I found on a Honda hashtag search on Instagram. The lines were a rip-off of the Jay-Z song ’99 Problems.’ I had taken the gist of the meme, changed it to suit my specific model year and posted it on Facebook. “If you’re having car problem’s I feel bad for you son, I got a ’96 Honda and it still runs.” I thought maybe now I was eating my words then I realized… The snowbank had broken the plastic bumper a bit, frozen the battery and the insulated heat from the engine had melted a radiator cap… but the engine, her heart a Honda 1.8 litre B18, despite being put through the worst Canadian hell (bearing in mind she was built 20 years ago in Japan for Japanese conditions) was still beating.

Seriously though. Thankfully my parents chipped in and lent me some money to help cover me until I actually start getting paid. Otherwise I’m not sure how I would be here right now.

When all else fails play fuzbol in your friend’s basement pass the time.

Now though I wanted to explore Winnipeg.

Richard and Melissa are two of my oldest closest friends. We met in 2007 during my exchange, Richard was from Ottawa and Melissa was from Winnipeg. During the program I watched them fall in love. Since then they’ve gone to school together, lived together, had a baby together and this summer are getting married, I get to photograph it.

Richard and his son on the right of the frame. Nice middle of the day play date for dad’s and son’s.

Without question they let me into their home, fed me and gave me and my cat a place to stay.

I hung out with Richard and his friend on the day Brea was in the hospital and watched them make beer.

Richard and Melissa gave me the breakdown of what happened… This statue of a Golden Boy sits a top the Manitoba Legislature in downtown Winnipeg, it’s the largest provincial legislature in the country, larger than Queen’s Park. The reason is because at the the end of the 19th century when they were building it, Winnipeg was set to explode as a major American trading hub. because the city is basically in the middle of the province and it was a major rail hub for trade. Then (and this is where my experience south comes into play) The United States backed the Panamanian independence movement and with their support they were able to gain independence from Colombia but at a cost, they were forced to hand over sovereignty of the canal to the US. In the end it ruined Winnipeg. The city that was supposed to be Canada’s first to hit two million people never even hit a million.

Portage and Main, infamous to me as a cold and windy place. Also a major socio-economic divider within the city.

This may be one of the first times I saw a block heater in use. Honestly. It doesn’t get cold the same way in Southern Ontario. Anyway, I have one in my car now and i use it.

A selfie on The Forks in Winnipeg. It’s where the Red River meets the Assiniboine River. Honestly I love Canadian history, so to be on these rivers for the first time was incredible.

Driving west I noticed these as far east as Belleville, Ontario and throughout my drive. Big shiny containers of Alberta crude. It was a reminder of where I was headed.

A person skating at The Forks. Winnipeg, in many ways reminded me of Ottawa.

The night ended with a trip to the Toad in the Hole, a bar that SEVERAL people had told me to go to. I drank an Old Fashioned for the first time, the best whiskey sour I’d ever had and this, a prairie fire shot, tequila and lots of Tabasco. We had agreed not to touch our phones while at the bar, and I failed after about an hour and half, so I had to digest that…

Melissa stole my phone and took the previous photo of me taking the shot. Then she turned it around for a selfie of herself while I tried to deal with my burning mouth.

I saw Portage and Main, The Forks, the Toad in the Hole, St. Boniface and downtown. Not a bad little tour.

The next morning I rolled out of Winnipeg. While my trip there had been tarnished by an expensive Instagram, a frozen night on the prairies and some bad memories of a previous relationship, I did realize something: I really liked the city, it was beautiful and the vibe I got was right up my alley. Plus now that I had dealt with the negative feelings there I felt like there was space to come back and rediscover the city. I can’t wait to do so.

Winnipeg was a far more significant stop in my journey than I had ever intended it to be.

I continued across the Prairies now crossing into Saskatchewan, it was also my first time in that province. I suppose this goes without saying but I have NEVER seen a place that was so flat in my life. Their license plates say “Land of the living sky,” I understand that now.

After crossing into Saskatchewan it leaves only the territories and Newfoundland and Labrador as places I haven’t been to in Canada.

Along the road I had to stop outside a grain elevator and take a picture. Also it was the first day back on the road with Brea, everything seemed pretty smooth.

Literally the flattest place I had ever seen aside from Uruguay.

Potash. The new prairie gold.

I rolled into Saskatoon around 8 and met up with a friend of mine, Alexandra Stang. We’d gone to university together and I knew her through the Charlatan. She had actually officiated the election where I was elected photo editor. That was 2010, it felt like a lifetime ago.

We chatted and she gave me a list of spots to check out in Saskatoon. So the next morning I went and checked them out. Saskatoon was another city that very pleasantly surprised me.

My cat attacking me after I let her out in Saskatoon. five days in an her patience for me was very, very thin.

Downtown Saskatoon in the morning. I went for breakfast at a place called Jake’s, it was great.

One of the many bridges in Saskatoon. it was a really pretty city.

As I went west I saw this and I had to stop to take a picture. I’m not 100% sure where the reference is for me, but this EXACT image, of an old red grain elevator with the words ‘Saskatchewan Pool’ written on it is forever a symbol of the province to me.

Again, so flat. Hay bales in the snow on the way to the Alberta border.

Now I felt like I was nearing the end of my journey, certainly it was the end of 800km+ days. That afternoon I drove the three hours from Saskatoon to Lloydminster, a city where the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan literally runs through the middle. My friend from Loyalist, Jeff Peters, work there as a reporter at the Lloydminister Meridian Booster, he’d moved out here almost a year earlier.

Jeff Peters, a.k.a. Rusty. Last year he and I hiked through the bush in Mowhawk territory outside of Belleville for pictures of a railway blockade in support of Idle No More https://adietrich.wordpress.com/2013/02/ it’s at the bottom of the post. It’s amazing to see where people are one year later.

Inside the Meridian Booster’s newsroom.

It was nice to see him and get a feel for the work he was doing, I thought it was a bit of a preview for my upcoming work life. We checked out a highway accident and a children’s play.

A car lies on it’s side on the side of the Trans Canada highway. both passengers walked away from the accident.

You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. In Lloyminister.

The Husky upgrader outside of town under the moonlight. I was now into oil country.

Ironically, in a city where gas was $1.08 a litre, Rusty runs out of gas in the middle of town.

Literally the town is divided by two provinces. Though for simplicity sake it runs on MST.

The next morning we had breakfast, then spent three hours looking for my cat, which had gotten loose in his house and hid herself. When I finally had her I hit the road to Edmonton.

Only two hours away, I rolled into town completely exhausted. I pulled into the Super 8 there and spent the night. It was noticeably warmer here, only about -5. I decided against touring the city, I was too tired and Edmonton is only 4-5 hours from Peace River, I figured I’d be back.

I slept in late and almost missed my checkout. I rushed out the door and hit the road. I was so excited to get to Peace River, I may have had a bit of a heavy foot cruising down the Trans-Canada.

Finally I turned north.

And if I’m being totally honest here, for the first time it actually hit me. As the mileage markers for Peace River continued to march along the road in front of me, so did the faces of my life in Ottawa, Belleville and Guelph. Ontario is the only province I have ever called home. I grew into independence in Guelph, I grew into adulthood in Ottawa and I grew into maturity in Belleville.

Tears rolled down my face as I motored north of Valleyview.

Seriously, after this road sign there was a lot of ignored/pent of emotions, thoughts and feelings that sort of burst the dam. It seemed appropriate that the turn-off sign, out of all the communities it could have listed put a) the place where my friend had worked, which had made me think of Alberta in the first place, b) the place where my boss works and where the Record-Gazette is laid out and printed and c) my destination.

The sun was setting and the roads were getting worse. I was growing more and more anxious, desperately wanting to be in Peace River.

Still had time to stop for one more car photo. We made it, through blizzards, snow, ice and damage she kept moving.

About 75km outside of Peace River I started to see a lot of these rigs, I tried counting I got to over 30 before I arrived, and that was just what I could easily see from the highway.

Then suddenly I came over a hill, below me sprawled out along the floor of a valley was a small town with a frozen river that sliced through the middle. I had arrived in Peace River

I actually took this picture while at Peace River High doing an interview a week after I arrived, but I didn’t take a photo of Peace River immediately when I arrived. Frankly I wanted to get home.

That night I met the office manager here, Shelly, she took me out for dinner, told me about the community and the people. It was a really nice introduction to the town. That night I slept in my own apartment.

Me outside the Record-Gazette office the evening I arrived.

I’m now here, I’ve been at work for just over a week. I think I’m starting to get the hang of it. As I move forward here I will post about my experiences in the town.

Some deer I saw run behind my building my second morning in Peace River

My living room two days after arrival.

For those of you who read this whole post, wow, just wow, I hope you enjoyed it.

The blog will return to it’s normal format, whatever that is, starting next week.

Well here we are in 2014. I haven’t really been into the blogging much these last few months, however, I have a really good reason: I’ve been insanely busy.

The irony though is I actually have less to show for it than I normally would… The latter half of this past semester was focused on writing, multimedia and longer form photo pieces. Meaning while I was busy it was doing things, like calling sources, conducting interviews and video editing as opposed to just taking pictures.

I am feeling a little more refreshed after the winter break and upon my return to Belleville my roommate and I and stumbled onto some news. This morning after breakfast we noticed a huge plume of smoke rising about eight blocks away and decided to check it out.

BELLEVILLE Ont. (3/1/14) – Fire crews work to douse a fire which sprung up in a two storey home on Grier Street in Belleville Ontario shortly before noon on January 3, 2014. (Photo Adam Dietrich)

Frankly Chris (my roommate) and I hesitated to leave, it was minus 30 today and we’re still on vacation. However, we ended up trekking out. By the time we got there the fire department had already cordoned off the block.

BELLEVILLE Ont. (3/1/14) – Fire crews work to douse a fire which sprung up in a two storey home on Grier Street in Belleville Ontario shortly before noon on January 3, 2014. (Photo Adam Dietrich)

I spoke with some neighbors who were huddling in the cold, they speculated on the cause of the fire. They also told me everyone made it out safe, with the possible exception of one of the neighbors cats.

BELLEVILLE Ont. (3/1/14) – Fire crews work to douse a fire which sprung up in a two storey home on Grier Street in Belleville Ontario shortly before noon on January 3, 2014. (Photo Adam Dietrich)

We didn’t stay long because of the cold. However, sitting at my kitchen table editing I was able to watch as the smoke plume dwindled over the course of an hour or two from the comfort of my own home.

BELLEVILLE Ont. (3/1/14) – Fire crews work to douse a fire which sprung up in a two storey home on Grier Street in Belleville Ontario shortly before noon on January 3, 2014. (Photo Adam Dietrich)

Now, rolling back the clock a bit to early October, we had a news video assignment due for multimedia class. We had to find a community event and shoot and edit a short news video about the event. So I did some research and found a small concert series that was kicking off an eight-month season of monthly shows featuring local musicians. It was a really fun assignment and good chance to further improve my video skills, which is a medium I am growing to love more and more.

As October wore on I dove into one of our major, and cross-platform, assignments. It was called Sense of Place and we had to visually connect a Belleville resident with a significant place in their life in town.

I found Lois Foster, a wonderful lady who has become one of the cities best known archivists (which is important in a small town with a big past). Her home was once a veterinary hospital staffed by her and her husband, they ran the clinic for 40 years before her husband died nine years ago. She still occupies the house that they shared and worked out of.

At the time I thought it was a really touching story about love, commitment and devotion and their story reminded me of my own maternal grandparents.

BELLEVILLE Ont. (24/10/2013) – Lois Foster is pictured at her home in Belleville Ontario. For more than 30 years she helped her husband run a veterinary practice out of their home, doing field work with farm animals and small animal sugary in their garage. Now nine years after his death Lois still lives in the home they shared and has become one of Belleville’s most respected archivists having helped author several books on historical properties in town. (Photo by Adam Dietrich)

Underscoring this whole term has been a news photo assignment we needed complete. The spot news assignment requires you to get a photo of an unplanned news event. Really the only challenge is in finding the event, after you show up just get a good angle/vantage point and wait for the decisive moment.

BELLEVILLE Ont. (21/11/2013) – A man is taken into custody after a three hour standoff with armed members of Belleville’s emergency task force on November 21, 2013. Police arrived at 56 Everett Street in the city’s west end around 11am and apprehended a suspect around 2pm. The man was later released without charge. (Photo by Adam Dietrich)

I had a big telephoto on that, to give you an idea of what I mean here is a photo from my Instagram that I took showing the view I had without a telephoto.

I did have permission from the property owner to be here, they were very helpful.

In addition to videos and stories, I’ve been working on a documentary project about the issue of gender dysphoria, which in a nutshell, is a disorder where someone is born the wrong sex. The story is a work in progress and I have more images here. Below is a portrait of the subject of this story, a trans-man named Martin.

OTTAWA Ont. (12/11/13) – Martin a trans-man sits outside the Loyalist College Residence’s in Belleville Ontario on November 12 where he is currently studying journalism. (Photo Adam Dietrich)

That project sprang from one I started working on last year, also for class, on a drag queen in Ottawa named Savannah Couture. I have a written profile and photo story here. However, when it came time for us to do our final video this semester I thought it would be interesting to go and check out one of her performances with my camera, below is the result.

Also please check out this group project I had the pleasure of collaborating on, it’s a sweet story about a former CN brake man who now runs the Belleville model train society.

Finally with the passing of 2013 I feel it’s time to declare a theme, for me, it was the year of the car. In January 2013 I bought my first ever car, a 1996 Mazda 626 DX. It was a gutless, featureless, rust-bucket that cost less than most of my lenses. But she bore me safely across 50 000km (Largely from trips to Ottawa) and through my summer in Toronto. In October the problems started. First a leaky tranny line, then the exhaust rusted off then I was told the engine sub-frame was rotten and needed replacing (about $1000…) however, when they took it apart I was informed the rust had spread further than they knew, in short, it was terminal. We went for a final ride, and then I stripped her of her logos and useful components before dropping her off to be scrapped.

Brea I resting at Silver Lake this past summer, a rest stop on Highway 7 between Tweed and Ottawa, Ontario.

It took a month of concerted effort, but it was worth it, for the same price I paid for my 5D mkII I found a 1996 Acura (Honda) Integra RS, so for you Honda nerds that means there’s no Vtec, although I don’t care because I don’t wanna burn oil, use premium fuel or need to drive at 5500 rpm with any regularity. That being said, the previous owner added a short ram air intake, heders, custom exhaust and three strut bars. The car has a lot of power for a 1.8L and literally floats on air around corners and because it’s a hatchback, I still have the same cargo space I had in my 626. It’s also the first manual transmission I’ve ever driven, and I am hooked, I never want to drive automatic again.

I feel every bit as busy as I was over the summer, only this time I’m paid in marks rather than money and publication.

While the school year is gearing up I find I’m not out shooting a lot but focusing on other things, writing, story planning and video stories. I realize that with a year left in school now is the time to focus on areas that aren’t as strong as my photography.

I’m also in a mode where everything I do feels like it’s dictated by school’s needs. Including this blog post! Which will be read and marked by one of my wonderful teachers for our digital web pages and online class, so uh… Hello Dan! Welcome to my blog.

After moving back to Belleville I was here the first weekend in September, but then the second weekend I went to Ottawa for the 10th anniversary of the House of Paint Hip Hop festival.

OTTAWA, ON (13/09/2013) – Stephen ‘Buddha’ Leafloor, longtime Ottawa B-Boy and member of Canadian Floor Masters, Canada’s oldest B-Bpy crew dating back to 1983, performs at the SoundClash concert during the tenth annual House of PainT urban arts and culture festival in Ottawa Ontario. The festival brings together graffiti writers, break dancers and hip-hop music under an overpass for four days of music and art. (Photo by Adam Dietrich)

It’s an event I’ve photographed before, namely because it’s located under a bridge right next to the Carleton University campus, so while I was studying there it was convenient.

OTTAWA, ON (13/09/2013) – Polaris Prize Nominee Zaki Ibrahim performs at the SoundClash concert during the tenth annual House of PainT urban arts and culture festival in Ottawa Ontario. The festival brings together graffiti writers, break dancers and hip-hop music under an overpass for four days of music and art. (Photo by Adam Dietrich)

What’s cool about the event is the way it blends, hip-hop, graffiti, breaking and other subcultures into a single festival. This year was a bigger setup than in years prior.

OTTAWA, ON (13/09/2013) – Montreal-based rapper Yassin ‘The Narcicyst’ Alsalman performs at the SoundClash concert during the tenth annual House of PainT urban arts and culture festival in Ottawa Ontario. The festival brings together graffiti writers, break dancers and hip-hop music under an overpass for four days of music and art. (Photo by Adam Dietrich)

It was a lot of fun working with the lights on stage, and I was really impressed with the range of musical artists involved.

OTTAWA, ON (13/09/2013) – Polaris Prize Nominee Zaki Ibrahim performs at the SoundClash concert during the tenth annual House of PainT urban arts and culture festival in Ottawa Ontario. The festival brings together graffiti writers, break dancers and hip-hop music under an overpass for four days of music and art. (Photo by Adam Dietrich)

In addition to the music and breakdancing, there was graffiti writing ongoing throughout the event.

OTTAWA, ON (14/09/2013) – A graffiti writer, who requested he not be identified, selects a paint can while working on a piece during the tenth annual House of PainT urban arts and culture festival in Ottawa Ontario. The festival brings together graffiti writers, break dancers and hip-hop music under an overpass for four days of music and art. (Photo by Adam Dietrich)

The writers weren’t nearly as forth coming with info, like names, about themselves as the dancers or rappers.

OTTAWA, ON (14/09/2013) – A graffiti writer, who requested he not be identified, works on a piece during the tenth annual House of PainT urban arts and culture festival in Ottawa Ontario. The festival brings together graffiti writers, break dancers and hip-hop music under an overpass for four days of music and art. (Photo by Adam Dietrich)

I used that first picture for a news feature assignment, the class this year is one of my favorites, like last year. That’s because it is straight forward photography and critique, and because I’ve done well in that class in the past.

Our first assignment was to submit a feature photo. In addition to the one above I tried other things including a weather feature. I wandered over to a dog park here in Belleville a few weeks ago when we had record breaking heat (plus 30 degrees in September!). The park was empty, but I had fun with framing.

BELLEVILLE, ON (10/09/2013) – Andrea DiRocco talks to her son on her cellphone while taking in the sun at East Zwick’s Centennial Park in Belleville Ontario on a day when temperatures tied a 30 year high nearing 31 degrees celsius in the sun. (Photo by Adam Dietrich)

Another assignment in class for news is our long-term project. We have to either shoot eight weather features, or follow one team, go to at least three games and submit eight gameplay photos. I decided to go with sports because it’s easier to schedule in a few games and know I will get the assignment done rather than banking on some inclement weather between now and October 21.

About two weeks ago I went and photographed a Loyalist women’s soccer game. It turned out well and having photographed soccer before I feel like I have a pretty good handle on it, so I’ve been trying to explore more creative sports photography.

BELLEVILLE, ON (17/9/2013) – St. Lawrence College’s Stephanie Lelenka heads a ball during a game at Loyalist College on September 17. St. Lawrence defeated Loyalist 1-0. (Photo by Adam Dietrich)

The next week I was once again out at a Lancer’s game, this time in the middle of the rain. Great soccer weather I guess? Anyway I stuck my umbrella stick down my shirt, wore it like a hat and continued on like nothing had changed.

BELLEVILLE, ON (21/09/2013) – Loyalist Lancers goalkeeper Kaitlyn Sanford, tries to stop a ball headed out of bounds during a game against Seneca College on September 21. Seneca defeated Loyalist 3-0. (Photo by Adam Dietrich)

While there I noticed that there was a group of motorcyclists in the parking lot behind the field, I assumed (and discovered later I was right) it was an M1 training course. So I snapped a pan of the instructor riding by.

BELLEVILLE, ON (21/9/2013) – Leo Burosch, a motorcycle instructor, rides past a group of trainees during a motorcycle training course held at Loyalist College on September 21, 2013. (Photo by Adam Dietrich)

Finally this last Friday was the last of my three games for the long term assignment. In contrast to earlier in the week Friday was a wonderfully sunny and warm day.

BELLEVILLE, ON (27/09/2013) – Loyalist Lancer’s Kristen Larone is tripped while trying to get the ball past Cambrian College Golden Shield’s Mary-Ellen Schroeder during Loyalist’s final home game of the season on September 27. Loyalist lost to Cambrian 4-0. (Photo by Adam Dietrich)

I tried getting close again to the goal, this time hoping to get the same shot I have above, only as a goal, however, the ref yelled at me an told me to back up. I was a little surprised as I wasn’t interfering with play and was still more than a metre behind the boundary line. I’ve never had issues before, however, it’s their field so I moved.

BELLEVILLE, ON (27/09/2013) – Loyalist Lancer’s Sonya Dronsfield watches as a ball headed by Cambrian College Golden Shield’s Mary-Ellen Schroeder during Loyalist’s final home game of the season on September 27. Loyalist lost to Cambrian 4-0. (Photo by Adam Dietrich)

That about catches me up to where I am now, about to go into October.

We also started publishing the Pioneer in Class, I was on the second group of editors, we were short for content so I wrote a story about the soccer team, it was my first time ever writing a sports story. You can check it out here.

My time here as Metroland’s summer photography co-op student at Toronto Community News is over. Today is my last day, my last assignments have been filed and tomorrow I’m moving things to Belleville. School orientation starts this week and it is going to be a crazy year.

I’ll start this blog post in mid-August. Two Thursday’s ago I went to Albert Campbell Square in front of Scarborough’s Civic Centre. It was India’s independence day, so the local Indian community came out to celebrate.

And then Ghanafest was happening in North York. A colourful day celebrating all things Ghanian.

John Kamassa dances with a Ghanian flag at the second annual Canadian Ghanian festival of art an culture on Saturday in Earl Bales Park. (August 17, 2013)

On Sunday I went to a car wash in Parkdale (over)run by zombies. The Toronto zombie walk was there washing cars in blood, then soap, although one zombie told me blood was preferred over soap…

A zombie menaces passengers in a car during a zombie car wash at The Classic Coin Wash on Sunday to raise money for the Toronto Zombie Walk. (August 18, 2013)

I capped off the day with a trip to a multicultural street festival on Eglinton Avenue. It was actually pretty empty and low key when I got there, however, I found these steel drummers performing under and awning and the main drummer

Leroy (Ants) plays the steel drums at the York – Eglinton International Street Festival on Sunday. (August 18, 2013)

When I returned next week on Thursday I started off heading to the renaming of Toronto’s island ferry terminal. It was renamed for the late-leader of the opposition Jack Layton.

Olivia Chow, MP for Trinity—Spadina and wife of the late Jack Layton, speaks at the unveiling of a statue of the late leader of the NDP at the Toronto Island Ferry Terminal renamed the Jack Layton terminal in his honour on Thursday. (August 22, 2013)

Members of his family, unions and supporters were on hand, and they unveiled a statue of him riding a tandem bike.

Ward 19 Councillor and Jack’s son Michael Layton smiles after the unveiling of a statute of his late father Jack Layton at the Toronto Island ferry terminal, now renamed the Jack Layton ferry terminal in his honour on Thursday. (August 22, 2013)

It’s the back to school season as well. So I was sent to shoot a portrait of a school principle in a newly renovated wing of his building. I confess portraits are still a weaker point of mine, I thought I would be shooting more of them this summer but I didn’t. We tried a couple of things but I figured this one was my favorite, nice and simple.

Carmelo Nanfara the principle of Cedarvale Community School sits in the newly renovated wing of the school on Friday. (August 23, 2013)

In a sure sign my summer was ending, later that day I was sent to cover an exhibition game between the University of Guelph and University of Toronto baseball teams.

University of Toronto Varsity Blues’ Oshima Yusuke checks for an umpires call after safely sliding into third base during an exhibition game against the University of Guelph Gryphons on Friday. Toronto defeated Guelph 7-6. (August 23, 2013)

The day after was a day of ethnic celebrations. The Toronto Chinatown Festival kicked off with politicians, Chinese dragons and traditional music.

A young girl peaks out from under a Chinese dragon costume at the opening of the Toronto Chinatown Festival on Saturday. (August 24, 2013)

Later that day I drove north to Downsview Park and Rastafest. It was a hot day in direct sunlight, but pretty interesting nonetheless.

Adam Malaku waits for a performance to start while wrapped in a Rastafari flag on Saturday at the 2013 Rastafest at Downsview Park. The flag is the same flag used by the state of Ethiopia 1897-1974. (August 24, 2013)

And finally this past Sunday I started down at the beaches, where an organization called surfers healing has been running a free day camp for autistic children. The camp pairs up kids with a pro surfer who teaches them how to stand up paddle.

A surfer helps a camper with on a stand-up paddle board during the second day of Aloha Toronto at Cherry Beach on Sunday. The event, hosted by Surfers Healing Camp is a free camp which pairs up children with autism and professional surfers who teach them how to surf or stand-up paddle. (August 25, 2013)

That afternoon I was in east Scarborough at a private home for a fundraiser for the Scarborough Terry Fox run. There was a family of five there who all agreed to either have their heads shaved or dyed to help raise money.

Piet Weert has his head shaved to raise money for the Scarborough Terry Fox Run at a garden party in the Neilson road and 401 area on Sunday. (August 25, 2013)

Cecilia Avarino from EM Hair Fashion Place shaves Piet Weert’s head raise money for the Scarborough Terry Fox Run at a garden party in the Neilson road and 401 area on Sunday. (August 25, 2013)

And with that I’m signing off. My next post will be about the return to school.

August has dawned, nights are cooler and days are getting shorter, as is my time here in Toronto.

This past week I got to shoot the Rogers Cup. It was my first time shooting a world class sporting event. I’ve photographed University level sports and even professional level hockey with the Belleville Bulls, I even once photographed a Raptors scrimmage in Ottawa but nothing at this level or speed.

Germany’s Anna-Lena Grönefeld returns a ball during the final round of the women’s doubles at the Rogers Cup at Rexall Centre on Sunday. Grönefeld and her Czech partner Květoslava Peschkeová lost to Serbian Jelena Janković and Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik. (August 11, 2013)

To say it was a challenge is an understatement, not only have I not photographed sports at this level before, but I’ve never taken a single picture of people playing tennis. Ever. I had ideas of where to stand and which pics to get but factoring in my ignorance of the game and the insane speed of the players it was a bit of a challenge. After ten minutes of fumbling around and getting lots of pictures of returns with no ball visible I started to anticipate better and they started rolling in.

Romania’s Sorana Cirstea wipes away tears after being defeated by America Serena Williams at the women’s single final of the Rogers Cup at Rexall Centre on Sunday. (August 11, 2013)

My biggest disappointment was not getting to court level in time to see Serena Williams play. I had a job at the same time her match started, and I wanted to do a good job of both assignments. By the time I drove to North York (30 minutes from the previous job), parked, got my media pass and got in she was well on her way. My route to court level took me past the top of the upper bowl so I snapped a few pics just in case I couldn’t get lower in time. As it happened by the time I had all my passes and was in the right place, her match was over. Although I was court-side for her accepting the trophy and for the doubles match which followed. A full gallery of what I filed is online here.

Serena Williams celebrates with the Roger’s Cup after defeating Sorana Cirstea 6-2 6-0 in the women’s single final at Rexall Centre on Sunday. (August 11, 2013)

Earlier that day I attended a Catholic Mass at St. Clare’s church, they were celebrating their 100th year anniversary. It was double booked for me though because the Roger’s Cup Women’s Final started at the same time as this assignment. Somehow I managed to be in two places at the same time.

Father Vito Marziliano, right, accepts a book from a parishioner during a mass celebrating the 100th anniversary of St. Clare’s Catholic Church on Sunday. The church marked it’s centennial with a solemn mass and and unavailing of a new statue of St. Clare. (August 11, 2013)

It was interesting, I find faith and religion fascinating and Catholic Masses are so ornate and full of ritual. Having some degree of access near the alter was really enjoyable.

Parishioners pray during a mass celebrating the 100th anniversary of St. Clare’s Catholic Church on Sunday. The church marked it’s centennial with a solemn mass and and unavailing of a new statue of St. Clare. (August 11, 2013)

On Friday I was at the opening of the Taste of Danforth, a huge Greek food and culture festival in eastern Toronto. The festival was opened with an event called the Danforth Dash. Corporate teams of four raced hospital beds down Danforth Avenue to raise money for the Toronto East General Hospital Foundation and to be the winners of the coveted Gold Bed Pan Trophy.

The Amalgamated Transit Union team races a bed down Danforth Avenue during the 7th annual Danforth Dash on Friday. The event opened the Pilaros Taste of the Danforth festival and raised money for the Toronto East General Hospital Foundation. (August 9, 2013)

Rewinding a week earlier, I was out on feature patrol looking for standalone to help fill space. I’d wandered over to the Ashbridge’s Bay Skatepark down by Toronto’s beaches. Usually I have good success with the skateboarders there, but this time there was nothing. So I wandered up to one of the upper bowls in the park and found a scooter team doing tricks, they were really good, so I asked to take some pictures, one kid eagerly hoped in and promptly did a backflip for my camera.

Jack Kelly a scooter rider with Scooters Canada does a back flip in a bowl at Ashbridges Bay Skatepark on Sunday. The Scooters Canada team was on a province wide skatepark tour, doing demonstrations in six skateparks in three days over the long weekend. (August 4, 2013)

The day before I was down at the famous Caribana festival for the grand parade, due to a logistical issue I spent over an hour waiting outside. It turned out the media check-in booth was inside the paid admission area, which I wasn’t able to access until I picked up my media pass from the media check-in which was located in the paid admission area which I couldn’t access…. The only way I got out of that repeating loop was because a photographer friend of mine who had a pass went into the event and came back with mine.

A masquerader performs on Lakeshore Boulevard on Saturday during the Grand Parade of the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival. (August 3, 2013)

That headache set me back and meant I was only able to spend little under an hour at Caribana, and never quite got into the vibe. Maybe next year?

A masquerader performs on Lakeshore Boulevard on Saturday during the Grand Parade of the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival. (August 3, 2013)

My week that week started in the extreme ends of Toronto. On Thursday morning I headed into Etobicoke in Toronto’s west end, it was my first time working in this part of the city. Seems a local boy, Dave Bolland, was in town with the Stanley Cup. Bolland won it playing with the Blackhawks, but everyone there was excited because he had just announced he’d been traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The crowd was a mix a dejected Blackhawks fans and hopeful Leafs fans.

Former Chicago Blackhawk now Toronto Maple Leaf Dave Bolland holds the Stanley cup over his head during a parade down Mimico Avenue on Thursday. (August 1, 2013)

Did I mention it was Etobicoke on the day of the by-elections? Rob and Doug Ford were there leading the parade and campaigning for their guy Doug Holyday who ended up winning Etobicoke-Lakeshore.

Mayor Rob Ford waves at people on Mimico Avenue as he leads the Stanley Cup Parade on Thursday. (August 1, 2013)

That gave me the rest of the day and evening to get across town into Scarborough where another by-election was happening. It was my first time shooting political news, unless you want to count student council election at Carleton University. It was intense because I was fighting with crowds and other photographers. I know a few of the photographers ended up on insanely tight deadlines because Mitzie Hunter arrived late to the after party (by insanely tight I mean they had 15 minutes to shoot, file, edit and transmit). For my part Inside Toronto wanted their pictures that night as well, although I was had more time.

Well as I approach the end of July and the start of my final month here at Toronto Community News, it feels like it’s been a valuable summer so far.

I’ll start with this past weekend at the Beaches International Jazz fest. I was sent to cover a specific singer, but once you have a decent shot of them performing it’s fun to look around and see what else is there.

Jeff Boyd and Sarah Thomas dance during near the main stage of the Beaches International Jazz Festival on Sunday at Woodbine Park. (July 21,2013)

Earlier that Day I had been at Scarborough Town Centre for a vintage car show, it took me a while to find the actual part of the parking lot where they were, but once you found it, all those shiny old cars stick out.

A visitor checks out the interior of a 1965 Pontiac GTO Convertible on display in the parking lot of Scarborough Town Centre during the second annual Show ‘n Shine car show on Sunday. Proceeds from the event went to support the Rouge Valley Health System. (July 21, 2013)

The day before I was downtown at Yonge – Dundas Square for the Unity Festival. It featured music and breakdancing, the breakdancing took me back to shooting Ottawa’s House of Paint event on film a few years ago.

Tristan Mina, 16, break-dances on one of the side stages at Unity Festival in Yonge and Dundas Square on Saturday. Proceeds from the show went to support the Unity charity which provides leadership outreach to youth. (July 20, 2013)

Earlier on Saturday though I got to check out a rugby game down in the Beaches area.

The Balmy Beach’s Emily Calley protects herself after being tackled in a scrum during the teams only home game this season against the Oshawa Vikings at Tubs and Gee Gage field on Saturday. Oshawa defeated the Beach’s 24-17. (July 20, 2013)

My weekend started off with some huge technical obstacles though. On Friday afternoon I went to photograph a graduation ceremony for some new Toronto Paramedics and EMS workers.

Kelly Aravena receives her epaulette becoming one of Toronto’s newest paramedics on Friday at Toronto EMS Headquarters. The city welcomed 25 new paramedics to the EMS service. (July 19, 2013)

Member of the Toronto EMS Honour guard stand during the opening procession of a graduation ceremony for new paramedics on Friday. (July 19, 2013)

However, I started noticing a black bar across my photos, when I checked the sensor I realized a shutter blade was loose. That black bar has turned into a horizontal light leak across my sensor. The biggest issue is it’s my 1D MKII body, it’s one of Canon’s proline camera body and I use it in inclement weather or situation where I fear for the safety of my, much more fragile, 5D MKII

The above photo was shot on my 5D. The photo below was on the 1D after the light leak, at that point it was still only affecting some of my pictures. It was at the Cultura Festival in Mel Lastman square and there was a sudden thunderstorm, blowing rain sideways, I was soaked from head to toe in seconds, this is the type of situation where I need this kind of bulky camera.

Vendors try to protect their stands against high winds and heavy rain in Mel Lastman Square on Friday. Sudden thunderstorms and high winds delayed the start of the final day of the festival by over an hour. (July 19, 2013)

Here is a sample of just how the loose shutter blade was affecting my pictures, until I can find a repair quote (because I’m not sure Canon Canada still services this make) I’m down to one body.

A ruined picture because of a shutter blade, the big black section taking up a third of the frame…

The weekend before that I got to check out the Thai Festival in Nathan Phillips Square.

Performers at the Taste of Thailand + ASEAN Festival throw water at onlookers as they demonstrate a Thai new year celebration on Sunday at Nathan Phillips Square. (July 14, 2013)

Sometimes interesting photos come from other things too, like off to the side of the Mad Pride Parade in Parkdale. Mad Pride is a march to celebrate of those who have interacted with the mental health system and while waiting for the march to arrive at an intersection I looked down the road and spotted a lady leading another one by a leash. Not something you see everyday, so I instinctively took a picture… Before I got the chance to go over and introduce myself, they turned and came towards me and offered a business card asking for a copy.

The evening before I popped by the Latin Arts Festival in Mel Lastman Squre in North York. While it was slow to start, in terms of interesting pictures, it turned out to be quite the event.

Danilo Rosa, a Samba dancer, leads a Samba performance on Sunday at the Latin Arts Festival in Mel Lastman Square. Samba, which is native to Brazil, is hugely popular and features large marching drum bands, whistles and dancing with colourful costumes. (July 14, 2013)

While the event was still gearing up I walked around to a few vendors and asked to do some portraits. One of them, an artist from Buenos Aries, had great pieces for a backdrop but I discovered quickly spoke limited English, at one point he asked, “Hablas Espanol?” Which coincidentally, I do, so we had a brief conversation I snapped a picture and continued on.

Padulo, an abstract artist originally from Buenos Aries Argentina, is pictured with his work at a booth at the Latin Arts Festival on Sunday in Mel Lastman Square. (July 14, 2013)

It had been a South American kind of day. Before the Latin Arts Festival I had been to the Salsa on St. Clair festival, a huge dance festival on St. Clair Avenue downtown. Nice light, low film speeds, almost wide open apertures and cool dancing made for some interesting pictures.

Harry Anderson, left dances with his wife Ernestine on Saturday at the Salsa on St. Clair festival. The two day festival took place on St. Clair West between Winona and Christie. (July 13, 2013)

However, the biggest surprise was twenty minutes after arriving while I was still making my way down the festival from one end to another the first time when I came to a road block. The police had set up tape and were blocking access to a section of the street. I learned later that two people had been stabbed pretty much at the same time I was arriving at the festival at the other side, about twenty minutes earlier. One man had been taken to hospital with a chest wound, the other was in the ambulance still on scene about to leave with a hand wound.

A member of the Toronto Police Auxiliary force speaks with a bystander after a man was stabbed in the chest and another cut during a fight at the Salsa on St. Clair festival on Saturday. The two day festival took place on St. Clair West between Winona and Christie. (July 13, 2013)

Blood was still fresh on the pavement, CBC was a sponser of the event and had been handing out pins.

Blood, clothes and a pin belonging to one of the victims of a stabbing incident at Salsa on St. Clair, lay on the street on Sunday. (July 14, 2013)

That Sunday was a busy day, before Salsa on St. Clair I stopped by a local hockey arena, the ice had been melted and a massive all day roller derby was happening. I only had time to photograph one game, and by total coincidence (honestly) the game that I ended up shooting was Ottawa Vs. Guelph (my two homes). Guelph destroyed Ottawa.

Top Herloins’ ‘Steamy Steelborn,’ in orange, from Guelph takes a check from the Cannon Dolls’ ‘Punch Buggies,’ from Ottawa, battle it out at the start of a bout during The Fresh and the Furious an all day roller derby hosted at Ted Reeve Arena on Saturday. (July 13, 2013)

Even earlier in the day before, the Roller Derby, I went to Ashbridges Bay Skatepark, the beaches editor wanted some filler, in the form of nice pictures of regular things happening. Skateboarding is always fun to shoot and that’s where the photo request said to go.

The day had started off near the harbor at Yonge and Lakeshore heading south. The festival of India had begun and they started with and epic parade down the centre of Toronto to the harbor front, where the festival then moved to Toronto Island.

Surendre Gandhi, Originally from Bombay India f dances down Queens Quay as part of the Festival of India parade on Saturday. The parade went down Yonge Street from Bloor to the waterfront where the festival moved to Toronto Island for two days of festivities. (July 13, 2013)

Going into my last month I’m pretty excited, there’s a by-election in Scarborough next week and soon it will be the Rogers Cup. Until next time.